UNILEVER'S ACQUISITIONS

1. What are the chief elements of Unilever's diversification strategy? Is unilever pursuing a multicountry or a global strategy? What aspects of the strategy do you like? What aspects of the strategy are you skeptical about?

Diversification at Unilever has emphasized a focus on the development of portfolio strength in core areas of operations. Thus, the company's diversification efforts have emphasized acquisitions in food products and personal care products, with simultaneous divestments in other product sectors. Food products account for more than one-half of the company's total revenues, while personal care products account for more than one-quarter of the company's total revenues. Additionally, the company has brought a comparable diversification focus to its core product areas of foods and personal care. Within the food products and personal care products sectors, Unilever, has sought to develop the strongest brands within these sectors, as opposed to flooding markets with a multitude of brands or producing different brands for each market. Thus, Unilever has moved away from a multi-country strategy and toward a global strategy. This approach within the food products and personal care products markets moves the company away from the so-called mass-customization strategy. Mass customization strategies are highly dependent upon production, inventory, and distribution systems, in addition to